“WHERE IS THE KINGDOM?” (Mt 4:12-17, 23-25): 07 January 2008 (Monday)

The Black Eyed Peas’ music video for their hit “Where Is the Love?” begins with an intriguing close-up of a red question mark. As the music rises, the camera zooms out to reveal that it’s a piece of crumpled poster clutched by someone running. Soon we see the mysterious question mark being posted all over the city–on street signs, on walls, on moving vehicles, on banners, even on people’s arms, as more and more people of different age and color repeatedly sing the chorus in increasing intensity: “Where is the love?”

It’s a catchy song with a powerful and timely message. The song took Black Eyed Pea group member Ron Fair about two years to finish before it got its finishing touches through the chorus courtesy of Justin Timberlake, no less. “Where is the Love?” is about the post 9/11 world, but it could very well have been a song written since the time of our Lord.

In the gospel, the Lord proclaims, “Repent! The Kingdom of God is at hand!” But for 2000 years since that proclamation, it doesn’t exactly feel as if the Kingdom has been around. So my question to the Lord today is, “Where? Where is the Kingdom?”

If we look at the world today, we can’t help but ask that question. A survey of the news in the country and around the world makes one cringe from all the crimes and violence committed each day. Think Iraq and the Gaza Strip, and more recently, Pakistan and Kenya.

A quick drive around the city will convince us that God isn’t exactly reigning in our neighborhood either. Just take a look at the giant billboards along EDSA that blatantly placard counter-Christian values.

Surf through the cable channels, and the types of behavior that all those reality TV shows try to portray as “cool” will make you easily conclude that the Kingdom is far from at hand in the world around us.

But that’s not all. If we turn to the world inside us, we also can’t help but ask the same question, “Where is God’s Kingdom?” If we examine our personal lives and our moral decisions, it isn’t exactly God that we’ll find reigning in our hearts. In fact, it’s probably going to be anything but God! There in our inner world, we find weakness, woundedness, and even wickedness.

After more than 2000 years after his birth, God apparently is still not King–neither in the world around us nor in the world inside us. But maybe what’s important is that we ask the question and that we seek the Kingdom. Maybe the problem is that we haven’t been asking, or we haven’t asked enough. Maybe we haven’t cared enough, simply accepting things as they are. Perhaps the Kingdom will come only if enough people care enough to ask, to look for the Kingdom, and as the Lord suggests, to pray for the Kingdom. Could this be what the prayer “Thy Kingdom come!” is supposed to make us do? As in the music video, maybe we need to ask the question again and again until we demand and even clamor for the Kingdom. Maybe then–and only then–will God’s Kingdom manifest itself.

(image: bravehost.com)

Note: I’ve uploaded the music video “Where is the Love?” Here are the lyrics of the song.

WHERE IS THE LOVE?
(www.lyrics007.com)

What’s wrong with the world mama?
People living like aint got no mamas
I think the whole worlds addicted to the drama
Only attracted to the things that bring you trauma
Overseas yeah we tryin to stop terrorism
But we still got terrorists here livin
In the USA the big CIA the Bloodz and the Crips and the KKK
But if you only have love for your own race
Then you only leave space to discriminate
And to discriminate only generates hate
And if you hatin you’re bound to get irate
Yeah madness is what you demonstrate
And that’s exactly how anger works and operates
You gotta have love just to set it straight
Take control of your mind and meditate
Let your soul gravitate to the love y’all

People killing people dying
Children hurting you hear them crying
Can you practice what you preach
Would you turn the other cheek?
Father Father Father help us
Send some guidance from above
Cause people got me got me questioning
Where is the love?

It just ain’t the same all ways have changed
New days are strange is the world the insane?
If love and peace so strong
Why are there pieces of love that don’t belong
Nations dropping bombs
Chemical gases filling lungs of little ones
With ongoing suffering
As the youth die young
So ask yourself is the loving really strong?
So I can ask myself really what is going wrong
With this world that we living in
People keep on giving in
Makin wrong decisions
Only visions of them livin and
Not respecting each other
Deny thy brother
The wars’ going on but the reasons’ undercover
The truth is kept secret
Swept under the rug
If you never know truth
Then you never know love
Where’s the love y’all?(I don’t know)
Where’s the truth y’all?(I don’t know)
Where’s the love y’all?

People killing people dying
Children hurtin you hear them crying
Can practice what you preach
Would you turn the other cheek?
Father father father help us
Send some guidance from above
Cause people got me got me questioning
Where is the love? Where is the love? Where is the love?

I feel the weight of the world on my shoulder
As I’m getting older y’all people get colder
Most of us only care about money makin
Selfishness got us followin the wrong direction
Wrong information always shown by the media
Negative images is the main criteria
Infecting their young minds faster than bacteria
Kids wanna act like what the see in the cinema
Whatever happened to the values of humanity
Whatever happened to the fairness and equality
Instead of spreading love, we’re spreading anomosity
Lack of understanding, leading us away from unity
That’s the reason why sometimes I’m feeling under
That’s the reason why sometimes I’m feeling down
It’s no wonder why sometimes I’m feeling under
I gotta keep my faith alive, until love is found

People killing people dying
Children hurtin you hear them crying
Can you practice what you preach
Would you turn the other cheek?
Father Father Father help us
Send some guidance from above
Cause people got me got me questioning
Where is the love?